Chuck vs The Continuation
by LeahASAP
Summary: This story begins where Chuck vs. the Goodbye left off and answers the question we have all been wondering: what happened after Chuck and Sarah kissed on the beach? Main focus will be on Chuck and Sarah, but other characters will definitely be involved. WARNING: CONTAINS SPOILERS (finish the show first)! Chuck fans, I think you will like this story...enjoy :)
1. Chapter 1: Kiss

**Chapter 1: Kiss**

Chuck Bartowski had never been so nervous in his life.

Of all the dangerous situations he had been in (including spy missions), this situation was by far the most frightening he had ever been in. After all, something valuable had been stolen from him. This mission had to succeed because so much was at stake. If he didn't succeed, he wouldn't just loose his life, he would lose his heart.

His mission was to bring his wife, Sarah, back to him.

That being said, he had never been so certain either. He knew how much he loved Sarah. And that love alone is what made him drive to that beach, somehow knowing that Sarah would be there. And she was. His love for her gave him the confidence to sit down next to her, ask her to trust him, and tell her their love story.

That daring confidence also gave him the guts to suggest one of Morgan Grime's crazy plans; that Chuck and Sarah should kiss so that Sarah's memories would come flooding back.

And she agreed to the plan.

As Chuck went in for the kiss, his heart beat violently in his chest as he wondered what would happen after that fateful moment. But as soon as their lips touched, he felt a sense of comfort and familiarity. After all, Sarah was the love of his life. Even if she didn't remember, that fact wouldn't change. He gently put his hand on her face as they continued to kiss. The truth was that neither one of them wanted this moment in time to end.

Eventually, after a couple minutes of kissing, Sarah pulled away. She looked at him, and although she had a small smile on her face, she also had tears in her eyes. She looked at him silently.

"Well…" Chuck asked her in a gentle voice. "Do you remember now?" He also had tears in his eyes, but he was doing his best to be strong for her.

"Not…not everything." she said slowly.

They sat in silence looking out at the ocean for a minute before Sarah turned to Chuck and said, "I do remember something…"

"Really?" Chuck asked with a hopeful smile. Maybe she remembered our wedding, or how we met." he thought to himself. "Or maybe she remembers a certain mission. At this point, any memories at all would be good." "What do you remember?"

"I remember that I love you, Chuck." she responded with a slight grin.

Chuck looked at her with a confused look on his face. "Are you talking about how we met, or the memories we shared together?" Chuck asked. "Because I just told you about those…"

"No, this is different. It's not a head knowledge. I just know in my heart how much I love you." After a brief pause she continued. "I know, it's not a concrete memory like you were hoping, but-

At that point, Chuck interrupted her by suddenly sitting up and reaching to hug Sarah. As they hugged, he said "Sarah, the fact that you love me is the best thing I could have hoped you would remember."

"Don't worry Chuck…I won't leave you." Sarah told him. At that point, a few small tears started to stream down his face.

They pulled apart a bit, and Sarah wiped the tears off his face. "You know, it is ok for you to cry." she told him.

"But I'm not sad…I'm just really, really happy." he said with a smile. And that statement was 100% true. After all, maybe the plan didn't go as magically as Morgan had hoped. She still didn't remember many things. And they had hard times coming ahead. But Sarah had remembered the most important thing:

How much she loved Chuck.

As he was thinking about all this, Sarah told him "Chuck, I think we should go to the hospital."

"Ok, why?" Chuck asked her. "Are you feeling ok?"

"I'm feeling fine, Chuck….but we need to see Ellie."

"Ellie? You mean my sister Ellie? She's in Chicago now. Anyway, what has she got to do with this?"

"She's a doctor, Chuck. And a good one at that. Plus, she has studied the Intersect before, and how it affects the brain. I think she can help me remember everything."

At this point, Chuck looked at Sarah with his mouth hanging open. Sarah, meanwhile, looked confused.

"What did I say?" she asked.

He responded slowly. "When I was telling you our story earlier, I mentioned Ellie. But I never said anything about her being a good doctor, or about her studying the Intersect. You must have remembered those things on your own."

"I guess I did." she told him with a big smile.

Chuck couldn't help but grin. Over the past few days he had seen her memories coming back, little by little. "Well then," he said with a smile, "let's get you a doctor's appointment."

Chuck and Sarah then got up and started walking to his car. As they were walking, he pulled out his cell-phone and called his sister.

"Hey Ellie, it's Chuck. I know you are in Chicago now…feel like having some visitors? Great, because I have a patient for you. Yep, it's Sarah. Alright, we'll talk to you in a bit."

And with that, Chuck smiled at his wife and drove to the hospital, both of them hopeful that Ellie would be able to restore Sarah's memories.


	2. Chapter 2: Diagnosis

**Chapter 2: Diagnosis**

Chuck and Sarah had told Ellie that they didn't mind flying to Chicago and seeing her there. But Ellie insisted on flying back to Burbank, pointing out that Sarah should be resting instead of traveling halfway across the country. Her husband Devon (aka Captain Awesome) and their daughter Clara came with her, to support the family and spend some time with Chuck and Sarah.

Meanwhile, Sarah was brought to Westside Medical, where Ellie, as soon as she arrived from Chicago, would treat Sarah. In the meantime, the doctors at the hospital in Burbank began running tests on Sarah (PET, EEG, etc.). Ellie arrived in Burbank within 8 hours after Sarah was admitted, and immediately began studying the results of the tests the doctors had run. Although it was not a typical case of diagnosing and treating, she would do her best to figure out how to restore Sarah's memories.

While Ellie was busy studying the test results, Devon took his one-year old daughter into the room to visit her Uncle Chuck and Aunt Sarah.

"Hi Chuck, hey Sarah." he said as he entered the room.

"Hey, Awesome." Chuck responded as he waved at his brother-in-law. "Thank you so much for coming with Ellie."

"No problem at all, man. After all, I think Ellie needs us here, even though she won't admit it. Plus, that way this little one can visit her uncle and aunt."

At that point, Chuck took his niece into his arms and started playing with her, which gave Devon and Sarah a chance to talk.

"I'm sorry about taking your wife hostage." Sarah told Devon. Sarah remembered taking Ellie hostage, and Chuck had told her that this was Ellie's husband and their daughter.

"Don't worry about it Sarah." Captain Awesome replied. "You didn't know any better at that time. You just thought you were doing your job. And no one got hurt in the end." After all, Devon knew Sarah. Sure, his wife had been in danger thanks to Sarah, but he also realized that the Sarah who had taken his wife hostage was not the same as the one who sat talking to him now.

At that point, Devon looked at Chuck playing with Clara, and asked Sarah "do you want to hold her?"

Sarah looked shocked by Devon's question, but Chuck put Clara in Sarah's arms, and she held the little girl and looked deep into her eyes.

"Hi, sweet girl." Sarah said gently. "She's adorable." she told Awesome as she continued to hold the baby.

"Yeah, she's pretty awesome." he replied. "She gets that from her Mom. Don't you, sweet-heart?" he said, looking at his daughter. After a couple more minutes of holding her, Sarah passed baby Clara back to Devon.

"Alright, guys." Devon told them. "I'm going to go take Clara back to the hotel so she can get some sleep. And Sarah, I know you need the rest. Just let us know if you need anything, alright?"

"Sounds good." Chuck replied. "Thanks Awesome." As Devon left the room, with Clara, Sarah looked at Chuck with a sad expression on her face.

"Chuck…." Sarah spoke slowly. "Who were those people?"

Chuck responded gently, but with a somewhat surprised expression on his face. "That is Ellie's husband and their daughter."

"I know that…I just don't remember them at all. I feel like I just met them for the first time. I don't even know their names."

"Hey, it's ok." Chuck told her gently as he took her hand. "Don't worry about that. Their names are Devon and Clara, but that's not important right now. What matters is that you're ok."

Before Chuck could continue encouraging his wife, Ellie walked into the room.

"Hi, Ellie." Chuck told her with a solemn look on his face. He was happy to see his sister, but he also knew how serious this conversation with her could be.

"Hi Chuck. Hey Sarah." she responded warmly, as always. "Sarah, I've been studying your lab results, but before I try to explain the problem, I would like to talk to you about what exactly you remember."

"Alright." Sarah said in a nervous tone. She than began to explain the memories that had been coming back to her over the past few days; the Irene Demova virus, the way the Wienerlicious should be arranged, the beach, Ellie, and most importantly, how much she loved Chuck.

As soon as Sarah stopped talking, Ellie looked at the two of them and did her best to explain the conclusions she had reached. "Ok, guys. First of all, Sarah, you do need to know that your brain did suffer damage according to the tests we have run. That isn't surprising, and the brain has been known to heal itself. The problem is, having a supercomputer destroying your brain is not a usual source of damage."

"Ok…" Chuck said slowly, as he held Sarah's hand. "Do you have any way to know how bad the damage is?"

"It's not good, Chuck," Ellie replied sadly, "but I don't have much to compare it to. Seeing as this is such a unique case, the only other information I can use as a comparison is Morgan, you, and the files we have from Agent X." She paused for a second, and then continued. "Chuck, you never sustained severe brain damage, so Morgan's case is best for comparison. He lost memories, but over a slower progression of time. He was unable to remember some things, but did remember things such as his friendship with Chuck after stimulation."

"Does that mean you think my memories will return?" Sarah asked hopefully?

Ellie sighed. "It's difficult to say…I would say at least some of them will return. After all, you have seen that happening already. As for all of them…to be honest, I'm not sure."

Sarah looked sad, but Chuck wasn't ready to give up. "So what's our next move, sis?" he asked. "I mean, there has to be something we can do, right?"

"First of all, we need to get that intersect out of her brain. We'll contact General Beckman so she can have it removed. Other than that, Chuck, I would say natural stimulation. From what I can tell, the memories that have come back are due to some sort of trigger, which makes sense because the Intersect always worked with a trigger. Also, a lot of them seem to come back when Sarah is doing something. That is probably because our brain stores procedural memories longer than it does facts. That means that memories of how to do things may come back more naturally than facts about your life. Chuck, you'll need to help Sarah by reminding her of things gently. Don't tell her everything, though, because we want things to come back on their own. And Sarah, be sure to not rush it. Sometimes you will go looking for these triggers, and that is ok, but many times they will just find you."

"Just like when Chuck was the Intersect." Sarah replied. "Sometimes he would be looking for a trigger, and other times a flash would come out of nowhere."

"Exactly. Again, the key is finding the triggers."

"Ellie," Chuck asked, "is there anyway one trigger could bring back everything?"

"I'm not sure…" she responded carefully. "The Intersect isn't designed that way, but since this was an altered version, anything is possible. However, it's a very slim possibility."

At this point, Chuck and Sarah both looked sad. Ellie couldn't help but try and comfort them.

"I know this isn't the easiest news to hear, but I know you two will be ok." Ellie told them. "I see the way you two love each other. Memories or not, that is not going to change, ok?" Ellie then got up, and she and Chuck hugged each other.

"Thanks, sis." Chuck said as he hugged his sister.

"Of course, Chuck. You know I'll always be there for you. That's what big sisters are for." She then hugged Sarah.

"I wish I could remember you better Ellie..." Sarah started, but Ellie interrupted.

"Sarah, don't think this changes anything between us. I think of you like a sister, and you are the best thing that could have possibly happened for Chuck. No matter what happens, I'll always feel that way."

"Thanks." Sarah replied quietly. "Hopefully I'll remember that you are like a sister to me too."

Ellie smiled at both of them. "I'll leave you alone. I'm going set up a removal of the Intersect for Sarah, and I'll drop by tomorrow to check on you two. Be sure to get some rest, both of you."

And with that, Ellie left. Chuck and Sarah talked for a bit, but eventually Sarah fell asleep. Chuck then curled up on the small couch in the hospital room and did his best to get a few hours of rest.

Meanwhile, Ellie scheduled General Beckman's visit to the hospital and drove back to the hotel. When she came in, Clara was asleep, but her husband Devon was sitting on the couch, clearly waiting for her to get home. As soon as she saw him, she walked to the couch, cuddled up with him, and started to cry into his shoulder.

After all, being a Doctor was never easy, and the job required her to be emotionally strong. But after several hours of being strong for Chuck and Sarah, she just couldn't do it anymore. So she wept at the thought of Sarah's memories never coming back, as her husband held her and his arms, reassured her, and listened to her to her cry. Not knowing what else to say, Devon simply told her, "I'm here for you." over and over again, until her sobs subsided and she finally fell asleep.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is my first fanfiction I have posted, and I would love to know what you think of it. So please, please, please leave a review! I would really appreciate some compliments and/or constructive criticism (whichever you think is needed). Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope to have another chapter posted soon.


	3. Chapter 3: Beckman

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you so much everyone…I was so surprised about how many people read my story, and I really appreciate all the positive and constructive reviews you gave! I also wanted to clarify something: I was told that according to the show, it seems that Sarah already had the Intersect out of her brain. To keep my story simple, I'm just going to go along with what I said in the previous chapter (that the Intersect it is still in her brain and needs to go out).

**Chapter 3: Beckman**

As soon as General Beckman received the call from Westside Medical, she personally saw to it that the Intersect removal device was prepared. As soon as the glasses were ready, she flew with them to the hospital where Sarah was. When she arrived at the hospital, she was shown to a conference room and told that Doctor Woodcomb would be with her shortly. A couple minutes later, Ellie entered the room.

"General Beckman?" Ellie asked tentatively as she closed the door behind her.

"Yes. I'm assuming you must be Doctor Woodcomb?"

"Yes, Ma'am. Thank you so much for bringing the device."

"Of course. After all, it's important that we remove this faulty intersect from Agent Walker as soon as possible."

Ellie looked at the General with a confused face. "I thought Sarah was no longer an agent, General?" she asked her.

General Beckman sighed. "That is true. A slip of tongue…I suppose old habits die hard. Sarah worked for me for several years. She was a good agent." She paused, looked at Ellie, and then continued. "Doctor Woodcomb, I hope you know how important your brother and his team were to our National Security. They worked hard, and I don't think I ever had a team that I was prouder of."

"That's very kind of you to say that, General." Ellie replied with a small smile.

"I mean it. I can only imagine how difficult things must be for your family right now. Agent Walker and your brother sacrificed a lot for the job…including Sarah's memories. It just doesn't seem right."

"That's for sure." Ellie responded sadly. "That's why it's so important we get this faulty intersect out of Sarah. That way, maybe there is some slim chance of her remembering again."

"I couldn't agree more, Doctor Woodcomb, and I trust you to take care of Agent Walker. She's in very capable hands."

The two of them talked for a few more minutes about how the procedure would go. They then both left the conference room and went to begin the procedure. They entered the room where Sarah was staying, and as they came in, General Beckman started talking with Chuck and Sarah.

"Agent Walker, Mr. Bartowski. It's good to see you again."

"Good to see you too, General, Chuck said with a small grin." Sarah remained quiet, but smiled at General Beckman.

"Alright, so here is how the procedure going to go." Ellie said as she looked at Chuck and Sarah. "General Beckman has the Intersect Removal Glasses with her. Sarah, you will wear them as the Intersect is removed from your brain. While the General oversees that, I will keep an eye on your brain functions. After the Intersect is removed, Sarah, you will be sedated. You need the rest, and we want to keep an eye on you for a day to make sure you handled the removal smoothly. Does that sound alright, Sarah?"

"Yep." Sarah said in a slightly nervous tone. "Let's get this over with."

General Beckman got the glasses ready while Ellie prepped Sarah for the procedure. After that, the procedure went just as Ellie had explained it. Sarah put on the glasses, which removed the Intersect. Ellie than gave her a sedative, which put her to sleep about in about 30 seconds. And Chuck sat next to Sarah and held her hand during the whole procedure.

As soon as Sarah was asleep, Ellie started talking to Chuck.

"We're going to let her sleep for the next 24 hours and monitor her condition. Chuck, you should go home and get some rest. I'll let you know if Sarah's condition changes."

Chuck didn't respond. Instead, he looked sadly at Sarah and sighed, clearly worried about whether or not she would be ok. Ellie went up to him and hugged him, then left the room to give him some space. General Beckman, however, stayed in the room.

"Mr. Bartowski." she said in her typical stern voice.

"Yes, General?" Chuck said as he turned around and looked at her. Beckman was a friend of his, but he still couldn't help but be a bit afraid of her. After all, she was the kind of person that demanded respect.

"Be sure not to let this setback interfere with you and Agent Walker. The two of you have found something very special, and it would be a shame to let Quinn's removal of Sarah's memories destroy it."

"Don't worry, General, I won't." he said as he looked back at Sarah, who was sleeping peacefully.

"How did you even convince her to come with you to remove the Intersect?" General Beckman asked him as she looked at Sarah sleeping. "I thought she was going to leave after the three of you disarmed that bomb."

"Well, Ma'am, it was actually Morgan's idea…"

"Grimes, you mean? Good Lord, what did he suggest this time?"

"He told me I should kiss her to bring back her memories." Chuck answered, slightly embarrassed to be talking about kissing with General Beckman.

"Hmm, I see." she responded, as professionally as usual. "Well, if you were able to convince her to trust you with just one kiss, your kissing skills must have improved from last Christmas."

As she said this, Chuck suddenly remembered the unspoken incident he liked to call the "Santa Claus Situation" (where he had to kiss General Beckman while dressed like Santa during a mission). However, before he had a chance to respond, General Beckman was heading for the door of the room. As she was leaving, Chuck sat down by Sarah's bed.

"Bartowski, what are you doing?" Beckman asked him sternly as she stood in the doorway.

"I'm staying with Sarah." he responded, somewhat confused about why she was asking.

"Your sister said you need rest, so go home and get some rest" she told him, in the exact same voice she would use to assign missions to him and the team. "And that's an order."

"Yes, Ma'am." he said as he decided that disobeying an order from Beckman was not a good idea, even if she was technically no longer his boss. He stood up, kissed Sarah on the forehead, and left the room with General Beckman.

Before they parted ways, she turned and looked at him. "Mr. Bartowski, if you or Agent Walker ever need anything from me, be sure to contact me. And if you two ever want to work for the government again, I'd be more than happy to re-form your team. Just be sure to take care of Sarah first…that is your most important duty."

"Of course, General." Chuck said with a smile as they shook hands. After that, they each went their separate ways. The General headed to catch her flight, and Chuck got in his car to drive home.

Chuck didn't know how on earth he was going to get any rest when he got home. After all, with all that had happened in the last few days, he had a lot to think about.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: FYI, I start my Fall Semester in college in a week…I hope to have another chapter posted before that, but I'm not sure. After that, I will probably post less often because I will be very busy . But I will do my best to keep posting chapters semi-regularly.


	4. Chapter 4: Reflections

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Please note that I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this chapter or in previous chapters.

**Chapter 4: Reflections**

Chuck Bartowski was trying his hardest to get some rest.

After he had gotten home from the hospital, he had decided to try and relax by watching a movie. So he changed into a t-shirt and Star Wars pajama pants and popped his _Tron_ dvd into the player. He got about halfway through the movie before he realized that he simply wasn't able to focus. Frustrated with himself, he put away the dvd and decided to go to bed, hoping that he would be able to fall asleep.

But of course, that didn't work either. As much as he wanted to, he simply couldn't fall asleep. After all, no matter what he tried to do or think about to help him relax, only one thing came to mind.

His wife, Sarah.

Finally, instead of continuing to fight it, he simply began to replay their story in his head. First, he started thinking about how he had met Sarah. He remembered her coming into the BuyMore, under the cover of needing phone repairs. Of course, she was actually on a mission, but he hadn't known it at the time. All he had known was a hot blonde girl was actually interested in him. The great thing was, he realized now that wasn't just the moment he had fallen for Sarah. It was also the moment that she had fallen for him too.

As Chuck continued this story in his mind, he got out of bed, turned on the lights, and started to pace around the room. He remembered their first date, and how he had found out shortly afterwards that he was a government asset who would be protected by his handlers, Sarah Walker and John Casey. Shortly after that was when he began cover-dating Sarah.

Chuck continued to pace his room as other memories came back to him. He thought about all of the crazy missions they had been on, and how he had actually managed to survive those missions despite his lack of training as a spy. He also remembered all of the times where he was almost certain that he and Sarah would never be together; when Bryce had come back, when Shaw was a part of the team, and all the times he had told himself that their relationship was simply a cover, and that a spy like her would never truly love a run-of-the-mill geek like him. Eventually, however, Chuck and Sarah figured out their feelings for each other. Chuck smiled at that memory, because he understood how that realization had changed everything for him and Sarah. He then continued to think about the twists and turns of their relationship, right up until his proposal to her at the hospital, her close call with dying, and finally, their wedding, where they had pledged forever to each other.

Chuck thought deeply about his situation with Sarah. Thinking about these past memories with Sarah had encouraged him. After all, he knew his story with Sarah like the back of his own hand. He knew that no matter what, he would always love her.

But there was another thought, a frightening one that knocked him to the core. Sarah had lost her memories. He could go back and remember all of their history to reassure himself, but she couldn't. He knew that she had remembered her love for him, but so far hardly any other memories had returned. And what happened if she never remembered? Chuck knew he could handle that, but what if she couldn't? What would happen if her memories never came back, and she gave up on their relationship? That would be something that Chuck couldn't deal with.

However, before he had time to carry the thought any further, he heard his window open. Startled, he turned around to see his best friend Morgan climbing in the window.

"Hi Chuck." as he pulled himself through the window and closed it. 

"Hey Buddy…" Chuck replied, wondering why on earth Morgan was climbing through his window in the middle of the night. "What are you doing?"

"What, climbing in the window you mean? Oh, well, I saw you had the light on. I figured that maybe you needed someone to keep you company. I was hoping that the Morgan door would be open."

"Thanks, man." Chuck responded with a small smile. "Yeah…I was just thinking about Sarah. So much has happened, and I just can't wrap my mind around it."

"I know, right?" Morgan told him somberly. "I can't believe it either…I mean, she can't have lost all her memories. Anyway, I'm not 'Mr. Excellent-with-the-ladies', so I can't really give you advice on how to handle the situation. But hey, I bet some good Jedi light saber action might distract you a bit…you want to watch Star Wars?"

"Sounds good to me." Chuck answered quickly. "Anything to get my mind off Sarah's memory loss."

Chuck and Morgan then left the bedroom. Chuck popped a bag of popcorn, Morgan got _The Empire Strikes Back _set up, and they started to movie. However, about half way through the movie, Morgan started talking.

"Hey Chuck. Remember how I said earlier that I'm not 'Mr. Excellent-with-the-ladies'? To be honest, Chuck, that's your title. Ok, maybe not with all the ladies, but you certainly won over the one that mattered in the end, didn't you? And I wish I had that confidence that you do, but to be honest, I don't. I mean, I love Alex so much, but I'm so afraid I'm going to lose her. It's happened before, and I'm so afraid that it could happen again. Don't get me wrong, Alex and I are great right now, but I'm just afraid our relationship isn't strong enough. But you obviously don't have that problem…I mean, look at you and Sarah! She's lost every single memory of you, and she is still in love with you. That's the kind of love I want to build with Alex. I want to know that no matter what, Alex and I will stick together. And Chuck, I know this is going to sound totally crazy, but I have an idea. I want to ask Alex to marry me. What do you think?"

Morgan paused for a moment, but Chuck remained silent, so he kept talking.

"I mean, the idea isn't totally crazy, right? I love being with her, and I want to be sure that we have this forever. But am I rushing in too soon? I mean, you and Sarah knew each other for years before you tied the knot. And plus, there is the issue of asking Casey for his permission for his daughter's hand in marriage. I mean, it might take me years just to build up the courage to ask him. And asking her is another problem. I mean, what if she says no? What if she thinks I'm crazy, or that we're rushing it? Don't get me wrong Chuck, I'm happy living with her. I just want to make the relationship more permanent. Should I ask her to marry me?"

He then turned around to look at Chuck and hear his opinion. Unfortunately, Chuck had fallen asleep.

"That's ok, buddy." Morgan said softly. "You were a great listener. And I know what I have to do now."

Morgan then moved to the other couch, where he curled up and started to fall asleep. Yes, the night had allowed Chuck to process all that he was going through, but Morgan had needed to process some things as well. And by talking it out, Morgan finally realized what he had to do.

He had to ask the girl he loved to marry him. And he had to ask her dad for permission.

AUTHORS NOTE: Thank you all for being patient in waiting for this next part of the story. School started a week ago, and I have been really busy! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you keep reading. Have a happy Labor Day!


	5. Chapter 5: Mission

**Chapter 5: Mission**

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Please note that I do not own any of the characters in this story.

John Casey had cut ties with the NSA and Team Bartowski to find Gertrude Verbanski, all because he had finally realized how he felt about her. After all, if there was one thing he had learned from Chuck, it was to treasure the people you love above all else. Now that Casey had found Gertrude and told her how he felt, they were staying together in a hotel in Vegas. They laid low, not letting anyone know of their location, because the other thing he had learned from his experiences with Chuck was that running away from government service was next to impossible, which is exactly what he was trying to do with Gertrude.

Of course, there was more than logistical difficulty involved with hiding from the government. After all, Casey and Gertrude both understood that being spies was intertwined with their identities. It wasn't something that either one of them would just be able to let go of. But for a small period of time, John Casey tried to deny and set aside that part of his life. A part of him wanted to just run away from all the duties and responsibilities the government had called him to and just worry about the people he cared about. After all, since he was no longer a part of the NSA, he should have the freedom to do that. But it was something else that was keeping him from letting go; a sense of duty to his country.

Because of this, he had mixed emotions when he received an email from General Beckman with the subject line reading: possible mission, respond ASAP. He begrudgingly read the email as he grunted to himself about the government not being able to leave him alone. It said:

_Mr. Casey,_

_I have a proposition for a mission I would like you and Ms. Verbanski to consider. I will contact you in 24 hrs. through video feed with details of the mission. Please be ready._

_General Diane Beckman_

"What's wrong, John?" Gertrude asked him as she walked into the living room of their hotel room, where he was sitting on the couch. She had seen the expression on his face and heard the grunt, so she figured something must be wrong.

"It's General Beckman." he responded grumpily. "She wants to have a video conference with us in 24 hrs. Says she got a mission to discuss with us."

"Hmmm." she said, clearly intrigued as she sat down on the couch next to him. "Sounds interesting."

Casey just grunted at her. She, however, had something to say.

"What? Aren't you at least curious about this mission? After all, this could be an exciting adventure. And besides, what did you expect to do without a mission? I don't exactly see a government-trained agent and assassin like you becoming domestic. I mean, come on, you aren't Chuck Bartowski."

"That's not the point. I cut ties with the government, and I planned on actually focusing on the people in my life for once. Plus, how on earth did she even find us?

"John, she's a general of the United States government. Of course she was able to find us. And besides, are you really ready to be done with the government? Because when I look at you I see a spy who is completely dedicated to his country. Dedication like that doesn't just disappear overnight. Plus, didn't you say General Beckman wants to talk to both of us? Sounds to me like she is looking for a pair of spies, and we may just fit her bill. Doing what you love with the woman you love…and for the country you love. Isn't that what you want?"

Casey was quiet for a minute, but he finally responded.

"Fine. We'll talk to Beckman, and maybe I'll consider her mission."

"I knew you see things my way." she said with a smile as she cuddled closer to him. And it was only by her persuasion that 24 hours later they sat in the same hotel room with his computer open, waiting for a video conference call to come in from General Beckman. It took a few minutes, but finally a video call came through. Casey clicked to answer the call, and the face of General Beckman popped up onto the screen.

"Good evening, Mr. Casey and Ms. Verbanski. I assume you got my message."

"Yes General." Gertrude replied assertively. "What kind of proposition do you have for us?"

General Beckman paused for a moment to collect her thoughts, and then began to explain the details.

"We have a mission that needs the expertise and position that few people have. Mr. Casey, you are one of those people. The government may have cut ties with you in the past…but after much reconsideration, people higher up are starting to regret that decision. Casey, you are a valuable asset to our country. I had to work to convince some people higher up, but we have come to a decision that we need you back on our side."

"Thank you, General." Casey said with a small smile that showed he wasn't ready to be done with the NSA like he thought he was. "Now tell me about this mission."

"Our intelligence has recently picked up on activity by the Ring. Casey, I know you are familiar with the Ring from your work with Agents Walker and Bartowski. Ms. Verbanski, can I assume that you have knowledge of the Ring as well?"

"I haven't worked with them directly, but I have heard of them." Gertrude replied.

"Good. Although we are fairly certain their presence has been wiped out in America thanks to the efforts of Team Bartowski, we know that they are currently operating in other countries, and we assume they plan to come back to our country. We want to take their operation down before that happens, which is where you two come in."

"I'm not sure I follow, General…what do you want us to do with a group of Ring foreigners?" Casey asked somewhat bluntly.

"You see, Casey, you are in a unique position where it appears that you want nothing more to do with our government. We believe that you and Verbanski could infiltrate their operation as two former U.S. spies who are looking to turn against our government."

"So, are you saying you want us to take undercover identities?" Verbanski asked. "Because I'm not really sure if that is our style of work. Wouldn't it just be simpler to just take them out rather than go undercover?"

"Actually, there would be no undercover identities in this mission. After all, both you and Casey have a reputation, so any cover would be discovered quickly. Instead, you'll go as yourselves. Casey, you will have to convince them that after losing your status as Colonel, you want revenge against the United States."

"Hhmm." Casey replied with a small grunt.

"So where do I fit it, General?" Gertrude asked, wanting to be certain that she would be involved as well.

"You will be Casey's partner on the mission, and will provide more authenticity to his cover. After all, since you have worked as a leader of a freelance spy organization, your loyalties to the U.S. will seem much smaller. Combining that factor with yours and Casey's relationship, you should be able to convince them that you are both traitors. Once you have infiltrated their agency, you will be able to take them out after some time. After all, you both have the skills necessary to do so."

"It's about time we get to the good stuff. Can't have a good spy mission without taking out somebody. It sounds like an interesting mission." Casey replied.

"I knew you would be interested. So, will you accept the mission?" Beckman said, clearly hoping that Casey and Gertrude would say yes.

Gertrude looked at him as Beckman asked this, and Casey gave his answer.

"I will. But only if some provisions are met."

"Ok…" Beckman replied slowly. What kind of provisions?" 

"First off, I don't want Chuck or Sarah involved in this mission at all." General Beckman looked surprised as he said this, but he continued anyway. "They finally managed to get away from the spy life. Plus, with all that they are going through, undercover work is that last thing they need. Plus, I don't want Bartowski with a gun anywhere near me." As he said this, he shuddered, remembering the time when Chuck had accidently shot down the helicopter Casey and his team were flying in.

"I agree with you on those points…Sarah and Chuck should be left alone. And Chuck never was good with a firearm." General Beckman told him. "Continue."

"Also, I want to be able to keep in contact with my daughter while I'm undercover." As he said this, both Gertrude and Beckman looked shocked.

"Mr. Casey, do you understand the risks that poses to the mission?" General Beckman asked him sternly.

"I do." He replied with a look of determination in his eyes. "But I also know how important family is. That's something I learned while being on a team with Bartowski for far too long."

At this point, the General rolled her eyes, but she smiled at the same time. "I suppose you are right. But how will we make that work without exposing your cover?"

"Simple. A letter drop system. I'll write letters to her, and they will be sent to a cover address, where they will then be given to Alex through a location drop. That way, the communication is untraceable to my name or a specific place. Of course, I'll still expect you to put Alex on constant surveillance. Just to keep an eye on her since I can't."

"Casey, do you realize how many government resources that will take?" Beckman asked him firmly. "I'm not sure that higher-up officials will be ok with that."

"They will be if they really believe that Casey is the great asset you said he was." Gertrude chimed in, quickly getting over her shock in order to back Casey up.

"Excellent point, Ms. Verbanski." Beckman said in a more gentle tone. "Believe me, I will do my best to make sure your requests are accepted. In the meantime, it is safe to assume that they will agree to your conditions, so expect to begin your mission very soon. I hear Germany is nice this time of year."

"Germany?" Casey asked. "Darn…I was hoping I'd get to knock off some Russians."

"All in good time, John." Gertrude told him with a smile. "General, I'm looking forward to working with you on this mission.

"I'm glad you two are willing to work with us." Beckman replied professionally, but with an excited tone in her voice. "Expect to hear from me soon with more details of the mission." Then, just like that, her face disappeared from her screen.

"Mmmm…" Gertrude said as she approached Casey. "See I told you. A dangerous mission, taking out bad guys, and all with the woman you love. I told you this would be a good opportunity." Casey then took her into is his arms, and they kissed.

However, as they were kissing, Casey wasn't thinking about how excited he was about the mission, or how Gertrude had been right all along.

Instead, he was thinking about what his daughter Alex would say when he told her that he was leaving indefinitely on yet another dangerous spy mission, just after he had come back into her life.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi everyone! Sorry that it has taken me so long to post this chapter. I have had a rough draft typed up for a couple weeks, but with all of the homework I had, I only got around to proof-reading it and finishing it today. But don't worry, I haven't forgotten about this story, and I will keep working on it. I hope you enjoy this chapter…and please keep posting reviews!


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